


Christmas at the Potter's

by accidentallyonpurpose



Series: Marauders Era [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Sirius Gets Slapped, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-19 23:55:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8229103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accidentallyonpurpose/pseuds/accidentallyonpurpose
Summary: Remus joins Sirius and James at the Potter's for late Christmas and New Year's celebrations.





	1. Chapter 1

“You be good now,” Hope, Remus’ mother said as she straightened her son’s dress robes.   
“Yes mum,” he said with a small smile.   
“Here, a bottle of Firewhisky for you to bring to the Potter’s. And don’t forget to be polite and clean up after yourself.”  
“Of course, Da,” Remus said, taking the bottle and putting it in his shoulder bag. It was the twenty seventh of December, and Remus was getting ready to spend the rest of his Christmas vacation at the Potter’s. Sirius, after being kicked out of his house the summer before, had been essentially adopted by the Potters and was therefore spending Christmas at their house.   
“Say hello to the boys and the Potters for us,” his mum continued, wrapping her arms around him in a firm hug. “And send us an owl when you get there.”  
“I’m travelling by flu powder, mum it’s not as if I can get lost.”  
“But still,” she said.   
“Okay, mum.”  
“Have a good term at school,” his dad continued, giving him a brisk hug. “We’ll see you in June.”  
“Bye, mum, bye, dad,” he said, smiling at them as he grabbed his trunk, dragging it by the fireplace. Taking a handful of flu powder, he dropped it in the fire and stepped in, saying the Potter’s address in a strong voice. A second later he was spinning, watching grate after grate fly by.   
Soon he was spat out onto the carpet at the Potters’ place. Christmas spirit literally surrounded him; a Christmas tree twinkled in the corner strung with tinsel and decorations, small dancing Santa’s were on every flat surface imaginable and magic snow was drifting down from the ceiling, disappearing before it could land on anything or anyone. And there, among the festivity, were Sirius and James, two of Remus’ best friends. He grinned broadly when he saw them, moving forward.   
“Happy Christmas,” he said, slinking an arm around Sirius’ waist and laying a quick kiss on his lips before moving to James and wrapping him in a hug.   
“How’s the family?” James asked as he pulled away.   
“Good, the usual, mum holiday crazy, but in a good way, and dad indulging it all.”  
“So same old same old,” Sirius chuckled.   
“Exactly,” Remus said.  
“Oh, Remus, you’re here! James, Sirius, why didn’t you come fetch us?” Mrs. Potter came bustling through from the kitchen into the sitting room, Mr. Potter following close behind.   
“He just got here, mum,” James said. “We were about to come grab you.”  
“Well, then, happy Christmas Remus dear,” Mrs. Potter said, enveloping him in a warm hug.   
“Ta, you too Mrs. P,” Remus said, pulling away from her and hugging Mr. Potter next.   
“Happy Christmas,” Mr. Potter said as he hugged Remus tightly. “Have a good one with your parents?”  
“Yeah, it was nice and quiet. Relaxing.” Remus reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out the bottle of Firewhisky. “For you, from my parents. They say hello and happy Christmas.”  
“Oh, how thoughtful! I’ll send your mum an owl straight away to say thanks,” Mrs. P said.  
“Could you tell her I made it alright? She wanted me to send an owl when I got here.”  
“Of course love, I’ll do that right now.” Mrs. P bustled out to the kitchen to write up the letter and find their owl. “You boys get Remus settled in Sirius’ room and then come down. The turkey is almost done.” Mrs. Potter knew about Sirius and Remus’ relationship, and trusted them to be responsible adults when under her roof.   
“Yes, mum,” James said, picking up Remus’ trunk where he had left it by the fireplace and carrying it up the stairs. He went into Sirius’ room first, Remus and Sirius following behind, hand in hand. Putting the trunk on the floor, he turned towards his two best friends.   
“She’s really outdone herself this year,” James said with a grin. “This is the third turkey dinner we’ve had, right Sirius?”  
“The day we got home, Christmas day and now today,” Sirius confirmed, counting on his fingers. “I think she’s just happy you’re happy.”  
“Well she’s also happy that she seems to have adopted a second son,” James said, smiling at Sirius. “She loves having you in the house.”  
“That makes one person,” Sirius mumbled bitterly.   
“You’re better off without them,” Remus said gently, pulling Sirius towards him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “And you’ll always have us.”  
“I’d rather not talk about it right now, if it’s all the same to you,” Sirius said, faking bravado as he pulled away from Remus. Remus looked slightly troubled but let it go.  
“Sure,” James said. “There’s a whole dinner downstairs for us, best not keep it waiting.”  
“I am looking forward to your mother’s turkey stuffing,” Remus said as they went downstairs. Sirius was pensively quiet.   
When they reached the dining room, James and Sirius immediately sat down.   
“Anything I can help with, Mrs. P?” Remus asked, hovering by the table as Mrs. Potter entered carrying the turkey on a platter.  
“Oh no dear, Rinkey is bringing in the rest,” Mrs. P said, sitting and watching as a small house-elf entered carrying a plate of mashed potatoes, a bowl of stuffing and a basket of fresh rolls floating along behind her.   
“Wow, Mrs. P, you didn’t have to do all this for me,” Remus said as he sat down.   
“Oh it’s not just for you love, and it’s nothing, really. We’re just so glad we could have all three of you here. Too bad Peter couldn’t make it.”  
“Maybe next year,” Mr. Potter joined in, taking his place at the head of the table.   
“Well, dig in everyone,” Mrs. Potter said as she sat down. Dinner passed quickly, the two adults quizzing the teens on all they had learned that term at Hogwarts and listening as they regaled them with the more tame tales of their adventures.   
They had a Christmas pudding for dessert that was devoured almost as soon as it hit the table. When they were all done they moved back to the sitting room, letting Rinkey take care of the dishes. There, they spent the evening and early night talking and playing games. When it was time to go to bed, the three boys bid the parents goodnight and they parted ways, James going in to Sirius and Remus’ room.   
They all ended up on the bed, Remus spooned around Sirius and James facing the two of them.   
“So do we have any crazy plans this holiday season?” James asked.   
“Aren’t you usually the crazy plan man?” Remus asked with a smirk.   
“I’m a bit stumped on plans at the moment. I mean, besides the usual playing quidditch in the backyard, driving mum and dad nuts and taking it easy.”  
“Taking it easy? Who are you and what have you done with Prongs?” Sirius asked jokingly.   
“Okay, okay. Maybe I’m just dry on ideas. I’m sure inspiration will hit. Aren’t the spontaneous plans the best?”  
“Sure, Prongs,” Remus said, smiling at him. They lay in silence for a few moments.   
“Do you think they miss me?” Sirius asked suddenly, arm tightening around Remus’. The other two boys knew immediately who he was talking about.   
“I’m sure they do, in their own way,” James said, reaching out so that his hand was resting close to Sirius. This was the first year Sirius spent away from the Black household. James and Remus knew it would be tough for him, even if he hadn’t always enjoyed being at home.   
“It’s just- would they kick me out, if they really loved me?”  
“That might be why they did it- no wait hear me out,” James said as Remus threw him a dirty look and Sirius sent him an incredulous one. “In their minds, they might be doing what’s best for you. They think you’re doing the wrong thing, so they’re hoping that by casting you out you’ll see that too. Little do they know you have awesome friends who look out for you and support you and would never leave you.” James curled his hand around Sirius’. “No matter what you believe or who you kill.” James quirked his lips into a smile.   
“Thanks,” Sirius said, wiping at his eyes with the hand not wrapped in James’.   
“Of course, mate,” James said as Remus silently kissed the back of Sirius’ neck. “And with that, I think I’m going to head off to bed. No funny business in here,” he said, giving them a serious look. “Or nothing past snogging, anyway.”  
“We know how to behave,” Remus said, rolling his eyes at James.  
“Okay, well goodnight,” James said.  
“Night,” they echoed back.


	2. Presents!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus exchanges gifts with the Potters and Sirius.

They had decided that instead of exchanging presents right when Remus joined them, they would all exchange gifts with Remus on New Year’s Eve instead. And so, December 31 found the family sitting beside the Christmas tree that was still set up, a pile of gifts under it.   
“Okay Remus, you can go ahead and open the one from us first,” Mrs. Potter said. She handed over a red wrapped box. Remus took it with murmured thanks, carefully opening the paper and revealing a copy of ‘Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland’; he had recently expressed an interest in learning more about dragons, a fact which had obviously been passed onto James’ parents.  
“This is great, thank you very much,” he said, getting up to hug both adults. Then he took a present from underneath the tree and gave it to Mrs. Potter. “This is from me for both of you,” he said shyly. Mrs. Potter quickly unwrapped it to reveal an obviously hand-knitted tea cozy, as well as two sets of hats and mitts.   
“These are very well done, dear, thank you,” she said, passing a set of hat and mitts to Mr. Potter.   
“Yes, they will definitely keep us warm,” Mr. Potter said, smiling at Remus.   
“Mine next,” James said, fishing out a green wrapped package and handing it to Remus. Inside was a large assortment of sweets, from chocolate cauldrons and Ice Mice to fudge flies and sugar quills, more than Remus thought he would be able to eat. “Because I know you like to snack when you’re up late working on homework and stuff,” he said. “Hopefully it will last you at least a month,” he teased.   
“That’s great, thanks mate!” he hugged James before going to the tree and getting his present for James out. James quickly unwrapped it, revealing the book ‘Practical Defensive Magic and It’s Use Against the Dark Arts’, one that Remus knew James had been eyeing the last time they had gone into Hogsmeade.   
“Oh, awesome!” James said, hugging Remus again.   
“Okay, mine now,” Sirius said, small blue wrapped box already in hand. He was practically vibrating from excitement. He gave it to Remus, who carefully unwrapped it, going slow on purpose to torment Sirius. “Hurry up!” Sirius said impatiently, prompting everyone else in the room to laugh. At last Remus opened the box to reveal what seemed like an average pocket watch. When he opened it, however, he found a small picture of him, James, Remus and Peter on one side and on the other a picture of a moon, about half-full. “The moon there shows the actual phase that the moon is currently in,” Sirius said excitedly. “I charmed it myself.”  
“Wow Sirius this is… More than I deserve. This is great, really, thank you.” Remus was touched by the personal thought that Sirius had put into the gift. He pulled him in for a tight hug and a quick kiss, which prompted a disgusted noise from James and a titter from Mrs. Potter.   
“Why the phases of the moon?” Mr. Potter asked curiously.   
“Oh, um, I’ve always had a fascination with the moon,” Remus said. “Star-gazing and the like.” Of course the real reason was so that he could keep of track of when he would turn into a mindless wolf, but he figured the Potters didn’t need to know that. “Sirius, time for you to open my present.”  
“Okay, but good luck topping that,” Sirius said smirking.   
Remus didn’t reply, simply walking over to the tree and pulling out the box wrapped in green and red striped paper. He handed it to Sirius with a soft smile. Sirius tore open the wrapper, opening the box to reveal a leather-bound photo album, a gold filigree design on the front. There was a stag, a rat, a dog and a wolf all pictured in delicate gold, all of them blending one into the next.   
“Wow,” Sirius said, running his hand down the front.  
“Open it,” Remus said quietly. Sirius did, revealing pictures of the four friends scattered over all the pages. There were pictures of the four of them, and different trio and duo configurations, all of them of the boys being silly and laughing and getting into trouble.   
“This is- yeah, this is…” Sirius was having trouble forming words around the lump that had suddenly taken residence in his throat.   
“I left blank pages at the back for you to add more photos as the time goes,” Remus said, running a hand down Sirius’ back.   
“Good thinking,” James said, trying to break some of the tension. “I expect at least half of that to consist of my beautiful face,” James smirked.   
“Yeah,” Sirius chuckled, closing the photo album but keeping it close. “So, we’re doing fireworks tonight, right?”  
********************  
After the fireworks, everyone bid each other a happy New Year and goodnight. When Remus and Sirius finally climbed into bed, Sirius turned on his side so he was facing Remus.   
“I have a second Christmas present to give you,” he said shyly. Sitting up, he stripped off his sleep shirt.  
“Oh, I like this,” Remus said, chuckling.   
“Not that, you dirty-minded bugger,” Sirius said, rolling his eyes. Turning so his back was facing Remus, he angled so his shoulder was in the light.   
“Is that-?” Remus reached out, fingers lightly grazing against the dark image of a moon on Sirius’ shoulder, which matched the one inside his pocket watch.   
“Yeah, it’ll change and match the one in your pocket watch.”  
“This is too much,” Remus murmured, awed.   
“Trust me, this is nothing compared to what you’ve done for me these past few months,” Sirius said. “Plus, now I’ll know when you’re going wolf, even if we’re not in the same place. Then I’ll know when to bug you,” Sirius teased, slipping his shirt back on and laying down, facing Remus once more.   
“Thank you,” Remus said softly, laying his hand on Sirius’ heart.  
“No, thank you.”  
They fell asleep hand in hand, facing each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)


	3. Sirius' past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a little bit about Sirius' past.

The next day found everyone doing their own thing. They had all agreed on a quiet New Year’s day. James had been roped into helping his mother bake in the kitchen. Remus had squirreled himself away to read the book the Potter’s had given him, and Sirius was left wandering the house aimlessly, too restless to stay in the kitchen and be polite and way too restless to sit quietly with Remus.   
Sirius found himself wandering into what had affectionately been deemed ‘Fleamont’s tinkering room’. After successfully creating and selling Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion, he and Euphemia had moved to their current house, where Mr. Potter continued to play with potions, hoping to come across another successful concoction.   
“Hey Mr. P,” Sirius said, sticking to the outskirts of the room. He knew from first-hand experience that some of Mr. Potter’s concoctions could get volatile.   
“Sirius, come over my boy,” Mr. Potter called jovially from his workbench.  
“What you up to?” Sirius asked as he wandered over.  
“Oh you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” he said. “Right now, I’m trying to see if I can improve on a general house-cleaning potion.”  
“How so?” Sirius always loved hearing Mr. Potter talk about his various potions.   
“What I’m thinking is you only need one drop to clean an entire surface.”  
“How would you achieve that?”  
“Either I figure out a potion that has super-scouring properties and proportion it so one drop won’t eat through the surface but will eat the dirt, or some sort of potion that will spread, either by incantation or other method.”  
Sirius nodded, thinking it over. “There are already spells like Scourgify that do that, though, aren’t there?”  
“There’s a spell for everything, if you look deep enough. But there are people who don’t want to do the magic or look up the spell, and some people, like squibs, can’t perform magic at all. This would help them out.”  
The mention of squibs yanked Sirius back to a conversation that he had had with his mum when he was younger.   
“Mum, who’s this?” Sirius had asked one day while standing in front of the Black family tree tapestry, fingering one of the black spots that marred it.   
“That’s my uncle Marius, he was a squib,” his mother, Walburga, answered.   
“Why was he disowned?”  
“He was a squib,” she said it slower, as if he was particularly thick.   
“Right, but why was he disowned? What did he do?”  
“He didn’t have to do anything, he was a squib. That’s shameful enough.”  
Sirius paused for a second. “He couldn’t control that,” he said, suddenly sympathetic for the boy who was disowned by his family for something he couldn’t control.  
“That doesn’t change what he was.”  
“But shouldn’t we judge people for who they are, not what they are?” This was something he had heard Remus say on more than one occasion. They were only in their second year at Hogwarts, but Sirius was already thick as thieves with Remus and James, and that Peter fellow kept hanging onto them as well.   
“God, where did you pick that up?”  
“School,” Sirius shrugged.  
“Well if you keep spouting that I’ll consider pulling you out. We don’t like Muggles, we don’t like squibs, we don’t like mudbloods. They are less than us. Is that clear?”  
“But you don’t even know those people!” Sirius felt uneasy- he had grown up hearing his parents say these things all his life but, after meeting Remus he wasn’t sure what he felt. Remus was a half-blood, and he was one of the smartest wizards Sirius knew.   
“Sirius, are you giving your mother trouble?” His father Orion’s voice preceded his entering the room.  
“No Father,” Sirius said, ducking his head.   
“Good. The house elves have dinner ready.”  
“Come, Sirius,” his mother said, snapping her fingers at him as she glided through the door.   
When the three of them reached the dining room it was to the sight of Regulus slapping their house elf.   
“Don’t you ever spill again!” he cried as the house elf hurried to wipe up the small spill of pasta sauce that had landed on the table, head low and ears tucked close to it’s skull.   
“Good man, teach them their place,” Orion said, clapping a hand on Regulus’ shoulder. The house elf scampered out, bowing as it went.   
“Guess what I learned today,” Orion boomed as he heaped out large spoonfuls of pasta.   
“What, dear?” Walburga asked as she nibbled on garlic toast.   
“Sisson, who works in the Department of Mysteries? He’s a Mudblood.”  
“Why would they let someone like that work in the Ministry?” Regulus asked, nos wrinkling.  
“Some people don’t see the value of keeping blood pure,” his mother cut eyes towards Sirius. “What do we say about Mudbloods, Sirius?”  
Sirius stared at his mother for a second. “Well, I say that I don’t understand why we judge people by their blood,” Sirius said.   
“Because they are impure,” Orion answered.  
“They’re less than us,” Regulus recited, grinning smugly at Sirius.   
“But that doesn’t make sense. My friend Remus is a Mud- er a Muggleborn and he is the smartest wizard I know!” Sirius’ knees had grown weak under the table. This was the first time he had ever really questioned his family.   
“What are you doing associating with their likes?” his mother asked, lip curling into a sneer.   
“He’s in my year and in my house,” Sirius shrugged. “And he’s wicked good at potions.”  
“Gryffindor,” Orion sneered at him. “Why couldn’t you have been in Slytherin, like Regulus?” Sirius remembered when Regulus was sorted, and how all their extended family that were in school had hooted and hollered, much different than his sorting the year before. “Have you tried associating yourself with the Slytherins in your year?”  
“I told you, father, I tried, but they are not interested. And I’ve got good friends already.”  
“Mudbloods,” Walburga sneered.  
“Don’t call him that!” Sirius cried, hands fisting in his lap.   
“Do not yell at me!” his mother had shrieked back, reaching across the table and slapping him on the face. “To your room, no supper!”  
Sirius could still remember the sting on his face as he had stood red-faced and stalked to his room.   
“Why are my parents the way they are?” Sirius asked Mr. Potter quietly.   
Mr. Potter looked at Sirius for a moment before taking him by the shoulder and leading him to a pair of chairs on the other side of the room.  
“Sit,” he said gently, sitting in the other chair. “What did they say when…?”  
“Mostly that I was a disgrace to the family for associating with those of unpure blood, and for being sorted into Gryffindor, for being good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, you know basically for just being me. Oh, and that I was never to enter the house ever again.” Sirius chuckled humorlessly.   
“You listen to me, Sirius. You’re worth more than the whole lot of them, you understand? You are one of the kindest, strongest, smartest men I know and believe me, I know a lot of people. And you are my son’s best friend and frankly, like the second son we never were fortunate enough to have. We are very lucky that you were sorted into Gryffindor because if you hadn’t been, you might never have been introduced into our home and our lives, and that would be a true shame.”   
Sirius looked away, emotions warring within him. There was so much anger and frustration and sadness all churning in his stomach and some days it felt like it would all explode inside him, spraying out of him like a geiser.  
Sirius was saved from having to respond by Remus, who walked in with his nose buried in his book. He was in a knitted sweater that, despite being made by him for him, was about two sizes too big. A cup of tea followed him, floating a few feet above the ground. Looking up from his book, Remus looked lost for a second. “Have I interrupted something?” he asked as his eyes flitted between Sirius and Mr. Potter.  
“No, just resting. Sirius was helping me with a new potion I’m working on,” Mr. Potter said, smiling at Sirius. “Back to it?”   
“Sure,” Sirius said, standing alongside Mr. Potter.   
“Would you like to give us a hand, Remus?”  
Remus looked at them for a moment. “Why not? I’m almost done my book. What exactly is the goal here?”  
They spent the rest of the day working in the tinkering room, Sirius standing close to Remus whenever he could make it look natural. Mrs. Potter and James joined them later and, after dinner, they all played exploding snaps and chess until it was time for bed.   
When it was time to go to bed, James followed the two once more into their room. Sirius looked at his two best friends in the whole world and for once, let the emotions run over him. He curled onto the bed and let sobs wrack his body, burying his face in his hands as he struggled to simultaneously release all the pent up emotion and maintain his breathing. Two pairs of arms wrapped around him from either side, Remus resting his head on top of Sirius’ and James resting his head on his shoulder. After what felt like years of emotional release, Sirius pulled back slightly, wiping his face with the back of his hands.   
“Sorry,” Sirius said once he was done. “God, what am I, a baby?”  
“No, you are perfectly within your right to have an emotional breakdown or four hundred,” James told him. “Do you think I could sleep here with you tonight?” It would not be the first time outside a run that all the boys had piled into one bed for a night.   
Remus stayed quiet, letting Sirius make that choice and being a silent, solid support for him.   
“Of course,” Sirius answered. They were already all in their pajamas, so it was quick work for them all to get snuggled under the blankets and wrapped around each other. Sirius was incredibly grateful for the friends he had managed to find.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
